Rotary engine.



' W. G. MAGOMBBR.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1911.

- a SHEETS-SHEET 1. 24 /5 W. G. MAGOMBER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

AA PPLICATION. FILED APR. 5, 1911.

1,042,018, Patented 061.232,11312. l ssHBETs-sHPBT- 2 y 4z- 52 I M A l@ F 4 J9 W. G. MAGOMBER.'

Patented 0013.22, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

WALTER G. MACOMBER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Parenteel oet. 22,1912.

Application filed April 5, 1911. Sera1 No. 619,173.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, lik-inruil G. MAC/01mm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful ln'iprovement in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specilication.

Thisl invention relates to rotary engines of a type wherein the cylinders are arranged with their axes parallel with each other and are rigidly'mounted with respect to each other and revolve bodily around a common axis, the rotation of the cylinders being in a plane transverse to their longitudinal axis, such as shown in former patents of mine Nos. 893,181, July l1, 1908, and 933,316, September T, 190i). [n such foriner pat-ents of mine a stroke plate is connected with the pistons, such stroke plate being adapted to be arranged at an angle to the plane of rotation of the cylinders and rotating with them, whereby the resistance presented by the stroke plate causes the ignited gas behind the piston to react against the cylinder and cause the cylinder to move in the line of easiest resistance which is in its regular plane of rotation, the relative reciprocatory movement of the pistons in their cylinders being accomplished by angularity of the said stroke plate. In the previous patents of mine referred to, this stroke plate is mounted on a driven shaft which is ar' ranged at an angle to the axis around which the cylinders rotate, and one of the main objects of the present invent-ion" is to provide a construction wherein a single straight shaft is employed as a support for the cylinders and to serve as the .driven shaft, the saidl driven shaft ertending centrally through the engine, thus simplifyingI the construction and greatly increasing the strength o`f the engine and also securing a `much better bearing supportfor the driven shaft.

A further object of the invention is to enable the angular position of the stroke plate to be adjusted to vary the stroke of the pistons without moving the driven shaft. 1n my former construction, in order to adjust the stroke of the pistons, it Was necessary to adjustthe angularity of the driven shaft, which is avoided by the present construction.

Another object is to make the cylinders detachablev from the engine and to provide improved means for holding them when assembled, and to retain them against centrifugal force tending to cause them to fly out of position when the engine operated at high speed. l

Referring to the drawings r--Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine. Fig. Q is a front elevation. Fig. 3 a vertical section on line Fig. :2. Fig. -1 is a horizontal section on line ath-.r4 Fig. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on line afn/e5 Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line ais-fc Fig. 4. 1

1 designates a pair of side frame bars with a front cross rod 2 and a rear cross rod 9. lslounted on the front crossrod 2 is a. box 4, as shown in Fig. 3, with a bearing 5 in which the rod 2 is revolublc', and mounted on the rear cross rod 3 is a box G in which the rod 3 is revoluble. set of double ball bearings 7 is provided in the front box L1 and a set of double ball bearings S is arranged in the box '(3, and another single set of ball bearings 9 is also arranged in the box (l. Journaled with its front end in the bearings T and its rear end in the bearings 8 and i) is a driven shaft 1.0 with an'extension 11 from which the power may be taken oft'. Secured to the driven shaft 10 is a. flanged sleeve 12 to which is bolted a cylinder sup; porting plate 13 which is perforated to receive the ends of cylinders 111. In the present. embodiment l have shown seven cylinders arranged parallel with each other and disposed around the driven shaft 10. Clips l5. as shown in Fie' are employed to grasp flanges .1G of the cylinders to assist in holding the cylinders in place on the cylinder supporting plate, but the main means for holding the cylinders in position on the cylinder supporting plate are tension rods 17, as shown in Fig. 3, their inner ends being screwed intb the sleeve 12 and their outer ends passing through bridges 18 which span adjoining edges of adjacent cylinders, a's shown in Fig. 2. with nuts 19 screwed on the ends of the rods 1T and pressingtight against the bridges 1S. The' angular arrangement of the rods 17 prevents centrifugal movement of the cylinders and holds them against longitudiind movement as they must withstand the thrust produced by the when the hand lever ends 23 which are received in socket bear- 'ings 24, which afford perfect flexibility bel plate 22 is 4mounted on ball bearings 23',

the latter being mounted on an adjusting block 25 Which has curved dove-tail grooves Q7. lhe dovetail grooves engage Ways vvliieh guide it in a circular path, the center of which intersects the center of pin 26 in shaft l0. The adjusting block 25 has a segjment gear 29 `which meshes with a pinion 30 on the cross rod 3, so that by turning the cross rod 3 the angle of the adjusting" block may be adjusted. A universal connection is provided betvveen the driven shaft l() and the stroke plate 22 and consists of universal block 3l which is pivoted with ball bearn ings 32 on the pin 26, ball bearings 32 being thrust bearings, a plate covering the bearings. The universal block also has ball bearings which operate on trunnions which project radially invvard kfrom` the stroke plate Q2. llall bearings 36 are thrust bearings. This universal connection gives the necessary flexibility of connection between the driven shaft l0 and stroke plate 22. A hand Vlever 3"? is mounted on the cross rod i2 and a connecting rod 3S extends from the lovver end of the hand lever 37 to an arm 39 on the cross rod 3 for rocking,` the latter P37 operated and to 'thereby actuate the gear Q9 to adjust the angular position of the stroke plate Q2. lly adjusting the stroke plate 22 so that it ro tates in a plane at an extreme angle to the plane of rotation of the cylinders, shown in Fig". 3, the pistons vvill then be caused to operate through their maximum length of stroke, while by adjusting; the stroke plate so that its plane of rotation is at a less angle to that of the plane of rotation of the cylinders, the stroke of the pistons -will be correspondingly shortened, imd by adjustine` the stroke plate into a position such that its plane ofi'otation is exactly parallel to the plane of rotation of the cylinders, as shown in Fig. Il, the pistons vvill then remain stationary. enables the compression of the c vlind rs to be varied, for example, if a high zovver is reo ired, the stroke may be adjusted to give a nigh compression. if a lon' poner is taiired, or if the engine running; idle, a

ver?,7 short stroke giving` lovv coinpiession .so y be obtained. ln the head of each cylinder is an naust valve dl0, the outlet passage Lil of which is turned to discharge the exhaust gas z outwardly into the atmosphere when the 'valve is open, which exhaust of is acoelerated by the centrifugal motion of the ej. iders, and as the gas is discharged in a direction away from the engine, heating of the engine is AGreatly reduced.

:melanie 42 of the exhaust valves bear against Wearing shoes t3 in Walking beams lll pivoted at 4-5 and operated by a cam 4:6 which is mounted on bearings 47 and has a gear 48 which meshes with a gear 49 on a side shaft 50, the shaft 50 being driven by a gear 5l, the latter being driven by a gear 52, the latter being fixed to the. driven shaft l0, and the ratio of gearing being` suoli that the cani 46 is driven one-eighth slovver than the driven shaft lO, that is, for every comi plete revolution of the driven shaft l() the cam makes seven-eighths of a revolution, which gives the proper timingr for the opening of the exhaust valves. ln the heads of the cylinders are the inlet valves 58, the stems of which are operated by shoes 5l on the inner ends of the Walking beams 44, and the inner end of each walking beam le has a roller which operates against the cani 46. Each inlet valve communicates With an inlet passage 56, each of the passages 56 communicating with an annular sleeve 57 through Which the shaft l0 ex tends, and the explosive charge is admitted to the sleeve 57 from the hollow driven shaft lO through slots 5S formed in the driven shaft 10. A partition 59 is arranged in the driven shaft l0 to prevent the vapor from passing` in the driven shaft l0 beyond the slots 58, the explosive charge being introduced through the open end of the driven shaft l0 at 60, as indicated. in Fig. 3. The cooling` of the cylinders is performed by their rapid movement through the air and is augmented by flanges 6l.

llllhat l claim is l l. ii, rotary engine comprising" a driven shaft, a cylinder supporting; plate fixed to the driven shaft so as to rotate therewith, a plurality of cylinders secured to the cylinder supporting? plate and having their axes arranged parallel With the driven shaft. a stroke plate havingl a universal connection Vwith the driven shaft. pistons in the cylinders, connectingr rods having universal oonnections with the stroke plate and with the ,A istons, and means for adjusting" the. stroke plate consisting of an adjusting block, surrounding' the driven shaft and on ivhich the stroke plate is adapted to rotate, having undercut segmental grooves, curved vvays opposite sides of the driven shaft and '5t Varying); the stroke of the piston nu,` the segmental grooves for guiding; the djustinp; block, and means 'for adjusting ihe adjusting` block.

Q. il rotarj,7 engine comprising a drive shaft, a cylinder supporting plate fixed to the driven shaft so as to rotate therewith, a plurality ol" cylinders secured to the cylinder i supporting plate and having their axes ar- The stems ranged parallel with the driven shaft, a stroke plate having a universal connection ivith the driven shalt pi tons in the cylinders, connectingrode having1 universal conn llSG nections ivith the stroke plate and vvith the pistons, and means for adjusting the stroke plate consisting of an adjusting block, surrounding the driven shaft and on which the strokeI plate is adapted to rotate, having undercut segmental grooves, curved Ways on opposite sides of the driven shaft and fitting the segmental grooves for guiding the adjusting block. a. segmental gear secured t0 the adjusting block, across rod, a pinion fixed to the cross rod and meshing with the segmental gear, and means for turning the cross rod.

A rotary engine comprising a driven shaft. a cylinder supporting plate fixed to the driven shaft so as to rotate therewith,

a plurality of cylinders secured to the cyl-y inder supporting plate and having their axes arranged parallel with the driven shaft, a stroke plate having a universal connection With the driven shaft, pistons in the cylinders, connecting rods having universal connections with the stroke plate an'd with the pistons, and means for adjusting the stroke plate consisting' of an adjusting block. surrounding the driven shaft and on ivhicli the stroke plate is adapted to rotate, having' undercut segireiital grooves, curved ivays on opposite sides of the driven Shaft and fitting the segmental grooves for guiding the adjusting block, a segmental gear secured to the vadjusting block, a rear crossrod, a pinion fixed-to the rear cross-rod, an

Aarm fixed to the rear crossrod, a front crossrod, a, hand lever mounted on the front g cross-rod, and a connecting rod connecting the arm on the rear cross-rod'With'thehand lever on the front cross-rod.

rotatable cross rods journaled on the side bars, front and rear blocks supported by the cross rods, journals carried by the blocks, a driven shaft mounted in the journals, a plurality of cylinders secured to the driven shaft, and arranged with their axes parallel therewith, a stroke plate mounted so as to rotate at'various angles relative to the driven shaft, pistons in the cylinders, connections from the pistons to the stroke plate, means supporting the stroke plate, a rack on the supporting means, a pinion on one of the cross rods and meshing With the rack, a hand `lever on one of the cross Arods having a projecting arm, an arm on the other cross rod, a connecting rod between the arms,

and latch mechanism for holding the hand lever in position.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my 'hand'at Los Angeles, California, this 30 day of March, 1911.

TALTER G. MACOMBER.

In presence of- G. T. HACKLEY, Fiumi L. A. GRAHAM. 

